The Alter Accords

Chapter Twenty Five: Corruption.

Right away after the reveal if his limited time, Lego suddenly started to see his friends a lot more. At least one of them every other day would hop on a train to come see how he was and spend time with him. When it kept going after a week though he started to wonder who was paying for this thinking the girls really didn’t have the bits to spend like this just to come see him. He was right too and he found out it was the Princesses after one conversation with Twilight.

To be honest, he didn’t mind at all, he just enjoyed seeing everypony when they could. “You know, I rarely go upstairs Rarity, you really don’t have to decorate up there since I don’t see it.” A scoff was all he got. True he had one of those chairs attached to the stairs now at the insistence of Twilight to the Princesses, but he still rarely used it.

“Darling, just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean a guest might now. What if one of the girls or I wish to stay the night or have a slumber party?” The voice of the prim mare came from upstairs.

Lego lifted a hoof to say something but nothing came to mind. “Alright you have good point.”

A light laughter could be heard from upstairs as he said that. “Of course, all my points are good. Now do you prefer a nice aquamarine to complement this wonderfully dark blue lace to really make it pop or would you prefer something more towards twilight.”

He opened his mouth before he could stop to think about what he would say. “Without a doubt in my mind, that it should be Twilight.”

He watched with a grin the pristine white mare stick her head out to look at him. “Oh really? What an interesting choice.”

It took him a moment to realize what she was implying. “What, I mean the color not um…just do it how you like.”

Lego left to the couch and to the journal to continue the translation. However he stopped to look at his glass of water seeing for a moment his reflection.

‘Weird, usually my mind is sharper than that. I should have been able to say something, anything.’ Giving a gulp he closed his eyes for a moment to think. ‘Maybe my health is starting to affect my mind?’ Opening his eyes and reaching for the glass of water he pulled his hoof back quickly at what he saw in his reflection. ‘What was that?!’ Looking closer he looked at his real eye for only a moment to see nothing was wrong. ‘Must have just been my imagination.’ For just a moment, he swore his sclera had turned black.

Shaking his head out of his stupor he got to work on the translation. It was really getting juicy now as it seemed reports were coming into the chosen about something last chapters that he sent to the Princesses.

Another year has gone by and only letters from the roaming chosen. The remaining Alicorn leaders were getting antsy if I was to judge the situation right, but then again, because I had a foal to raise, I could no longer be at every meeting. However I did manage to talk to the other scribe and what she told me was that reports of missing Alicorn villagers were coming in more and more. The buildings and structures themselves seemed fine but all the other Alicorns of those villages swear that a strange Alicorn had come asking if they were truly happy with how things were only to discover the next day that some of those that were had asked vanished.

No doubt it was cause of this they were worried. Legerdemain obviously had his suspicions but couldn’t state them openly without causing the other chosen to worry. The problem is, cause of his lack of control over his emotions recently most likely that I believe to be caused by the missing Clear Absolve who was with the others, that he didn’t need to tell the others of his suspicions to make them understood what he thought. He thought it was the doing of Hopeful Dreamer.

It was only by happenstance that I happened to be on duty when the report of another village being visited and Alicorns missing did all of the remaining chosen took flight, with me of course to record things for posterity. The flight had taken a few days and it was at that moment I was glad I was allowed to take time to pack and tell my wife where I was heading. When the seven of us had arrived we found the villagers outside waiting for us and judging from how many there were it would only be about maybe three fourths of the village or a bit less than that.

“We have heard of your troubles and came to investigate properly. Would any of you happen to be the leader of this village?” Premier asked as his pulsing mane followed his gaze as it swept the village.

An Alicorn took a step forward but seemed far younger then what I expected of a leader. “I guess that would be me since our village leader was one of the Alicorns that vanished.”

Taking a step forward to the side of the Alicorn of magic, Sincere Integrity looked towards the stallion and spoke. “Tell us, since the strange Alicorn came to everypony at one point or another, you should remember what they look like. Please describe them.”

For a moment the stallion seemed to pale at the voice of honesty before nodding and gulping. “Y-yes well he was taller than any Alicorn in the village by at least a head if not more. His coat was a gradient of black and white going from one to the other as it rose from his hooves and his mane looked to be made of some kind of liquid metal. Platinum or silver or even a white gold it was hard to tell with his eyes being the same color. I don’t know why but when he spoke it seemed sad at the same time of being determined.”

Inner Jubilation moved next to the others and held up her speaking sign. “Did he look like this” Flipping the sign over was a drawing of Hopeful Dreamer which caused the stallion to nod.

“That is him, wow you must have already got him or something to have a sketch like that.” The Alicorn sighed with a relief as did the others of the village.

Legerdemain however was seething. “I see, I was right all along. He never belonged with us. What we need to do now is-”

All words were halted as a flash so bright it blinded the entire village including myself and the chosen swept us by. It was a good half hour before the glow receded as if a wave going back out to see…it wasn’t light, it was magic.

The soldier among us took the reins and pointed to where the light was vanishing. “FOLLOW IT!” True Devotion took flight as she shouted this only to be quickly followed by the rest of us though none of the villagers chose to follow. I suppose in the end that was for the best as what happened next is still hard to bear sometimes.

From the air it looked as if we had found the culprit, Hopeful Dream right in the middle of a bunch of Alicorns, however something was wrong. All the Alicorns seemed too small and things were off about them as well but from this distance it was hard to tell. As we got closer and closer though the change was a lot more apparent, the Alicorns, or should I say what was the Alicorns, stood in pairs of threes, each one only having a horn, or wings, or neither. Some looked upset, others looked pleased by whatever had happened, but either way it seemed as if Dreamer had visited more villages then what was thought.

Landing in the clearing we came face to face with the rogue Alicorn whom, for what it was worth, was a lot smaller then when I last seen him. Either from the massive amount of magic he had just used or from the lack of hope I never did figure out.

“Hello Friends.” Came the pleased but tired voice of the Alicorn of hope. Before anything more could be said the sounds of more wings were heard as the remaining Alicorns that had went in search of him returned. At the time I was just happy to see them, but in retrospect it was too convenient.

“Premier Legerdemain what are you doing here?” The voice of Clear Absolve was rather tired as if she had just traveled a long ways without rest.

For his previous anger that was held inside the Alicorn, it just as quickly left when her presence was back. “Clear, we have just caught Dreamer in an act of…I am not even sure what to call it.”

However not everypony could be so calm, and it was with shouting that True Devotion showed he was the most upset about this. “Hopeful Dreamer What do you have to say for yourself?! How do you explain this injustice, this travesty and this monstrosity you brought about? You have done something to these Alicorns to pervert their forms, to change them and make them lesser then they were. Did you hope to gain something from making our Alicorns suffer in these mutated forms?”

For his part the silver maned Alicorn just laughed at him. “Yep I did. I did all of this myself. I found Alicorns that were unhappy, unmotivated by their own admittance and took them away. It was here that I ‘mutated’ them as you have just put it. I made them lesser, made them vulnerable. I split each of them into three parts, their physical prowess along with their connection to the very planet itself, weather and flight, finally knowledge and magic. I separated these three things from each of them and made them each into a pony representing these things. Terrans, Pegai, and Unicorns. From now on these ponies will live day to day relying on each other to progress. They will seek how to better themselves and become more then they are. They will truly live and will truly hope and dream from now on.”

I was so caught up in his tale at the time I never looked at the reactions of the others till it was over. Legerdemain was sad, I was always confused about this one but later found out why. Legerdemain was sad at a pony so lost from their calling one that he had once called brother not matter how much he didn’t get along with to do this. His sadness seemed to be matched by the Alicorns of Courage, Laughter, Forgiveness, Determination, and most of all Sacrifice. Honesty was disgusted with Generosity being as shocked as I was. Kindness was crying with how upset she was and Loyalty was fuming.

However it was Generosity who spoke up next from her shock, her elderly voice seeming to be on the verge of breaking down. “You have done this of your own free will you admitted, but why? Weren’t we perfect? Weren’t we all that were needed?”

She got a sad look from the Alicorn of Hope as he nodded. “Yes, Alicorns are basically perfect. That was the problem. With no flaws, no need to rely on others, the need to trust in and give trust to others, as well as the magic to do and summon anything that was needed there was nothing to hope or dream for with the exception of fleeting fantasies. Alicorns live till we die, as such the need to find comfort in others is as rare as hope was. Only your scribe over there is one of the only examples in all of Equus I could find of one looking to find the rest of themselves in another.”

Premier rose his head up and lit up his horn. “Be that as it may I will right what you have wronged.” Each of the separated Alicorns started to glow for a moment and move towards their missing pieces and pressed up against each other only for the magic to quickly shatter as Dreamer just chuckled sadly. “What have you done?”

The Alicorn most representing hope just looked at him. “You can’t fuse separate ponies together Prem.”

“What are you talking about; I only see pieces of a whole here!” I had never seen my employer like this but what was said next was the reason why.

For once Dreamer smiled something of a genuine smile. “I have finally bested you in magic my brother. You see, the moment I separated our Alicorns into the current species they are, their thoughts also started to change to match their new bodies, this of course was by design and of the ponies themselves accords. Meaning each of them are now their own ponies and separate beings. You can’t merge separate beings.”

Sad and angry all at once, Premier looked to the five fellow Alicorns that had come with him. “Since myself and five others of the chosen were here to witness this, it is up to us to determine your fate. My brothers and sisters lend me your strength.” With that the four other Alicorns that had joined us near the start gasped and looked to have something to say.

Hopeful Dreamer held out a hoof and shook his head. “No, he is right; it is their job to determine my fate.”

Six Alicorns started to glow in a bright light as they focused their powers together. “You leave us with no choice, for the good of Equus we do this.” Once more the sound of anger and sadness mixed into Legerdemain’s voice as he continued to speak. “Using the spell you just invented we too will use this for what we perceive is the good of Equus. Hopeful Dreamer, we hereby separate you into two, we will remove the part of you that thought this was in anyway good or just to mutilate our Alicorns like this, that should leave the pure essence of yourself behind.”

Stepping up closer to them Dreamer smiled and nodded. “I accept my fate. I may not be myself to guide my ponies here but I know that by working together, they will do just fine. Ten thousand Alicorns stood here only to become thirty thousand of my ponies. They will live, they will thrive, and they will hope. So my last request is that you leave them to be and let them judge for themselves what is just and true.”

I watched as the leader of the chosen nodded only once before he shot out the six beams of color that mingled in harmony. As they hit Hopeful I watched as tears streamed down his face, though I could tell they weren’t of pain or suffering. They were of joy as shown by the smile on his face.

The smile vanished suddenly as the coloring of the Alicorn inverted, black was white on him and his molten silver mane became obsidian now as something of a shadow was ripped off him and landed with a splat behind him.

All six of the Alicorns that had judged him landed from the use of their power as did the one who received the effect. Clear Absolve, I seen working some kind of magic and sealing the goop that had come off of Dreamer in a large piece of amber.

“How do you feel Dreamer?” Magnificent Compassion spoke gently to the changed Alicorn.

There was a moment where all that the Alicorn would do was to breathe deeply and exhale. “Like my true self, freed from the gross and perverted feelings that held me back. No longer will I need to be afraid, be scared. I know my place and I know my element now.”

With a smile on seven out of the eleven Chosen there I still found myself unsettled and I wasn’t sure why. With a glow of horns magic enveloped us and took us back to the capital. Leaving behind the new ponies to live for themselves as was requested.

I wish to say that this was a happy ending, but sadly that is when the nightmare truly started.

Celestia stared at her sister after they had both read that last page and gulped down the air. “Did, our ponies get created by an Alicorn from Alicorns and weren’t just born?”

Her sister just looked at her and nodded “It seems so. Ten thousand Alicorns became the beginnings of pony kind. It explains how one such as Cadence could ascend if all ponies hailed from Alicorn kind like this suggests.”

It was indeed food for thought the only problem was, they didn’t get to have their dessert as a guard pony came in after knocking. “Your majesties I am sorry to interrupt but it seems that more victims are being found. Since your curfew victims are now being found in their homes. What is worse is that some ponies are filing missing equine reports more and more. At first we didn’t think they were connected but the numbers keep rising.”

Celestia was just contemplating on what to do as her sister ground her teeth after telling the guard to send them the reports. As he left the older sister of the two had to reprimand the younger as she started to spout off curses long since forgotten.

“We know you are upset Lulu but you have to calm down. If you get in a rage you may miss clues that could lead us straight to the killer himself.” Her tone was meant to be helpful but it only seemed to irritate her sister.

Luna turned on her sister with a look of fury as well as sadness as tears streaked down muzzle. “Are you saying I can’t handle this task as I am too emotional? That I worry about our ponies too much, that you could do better sister?!”

“Sister, you know I didn’t mean it like that.” The pastel princess said as the look on Luna’s face turned from a mix of fury and sadness to just sadness.

Lunging towards her sister and burying her face in her neck she let her eyes and tears say what she couldn’t, say that she wished she could stop the killer and end this terror spree. Celestia knew how much she resented herself for not capturing the killer on that fateful night.

The rulers of day and night, sun and moon, Alicorns of light and dark, were feeling as helpless as the citizens they protected though they wouldn’t give up. Not by a long shot.

“Mmm, delicious.” Lego muttered into his ice cream cone.

Today it was Pinkie and AJ that was with him, and part for the course of the pink party pony, she suggested they get a sweet treat. While that in of itself sounded great, such a walk away to get the treat would have been too much for the sickly pony. Walking back in the summer heat wasn’t an option either. It was then they pulled out a wheelchair he had been given from the hospital so long ago. While that did put a somber mood to the trip it seemed to vanish as they got a hold of the treat.

“Righty roo. This ice cream is scrump-diddly-umptious. I might have to try to get the recipe from him.” The voice of his friend sounded for a moment farther than it really was. Lego had a moment where he struggled to even hear pinkie before things came back into focus.

AJ though wasn’t fooled it seemed as she had been looking at him it seemed and her face showed worry. “You all right there pardner?”

“Yeah, just tired I guess.” He went back to tasting his cone only to find it half melted. “Huh when did that happen?”

Pinkie and Applejack exchanged a look towards him before the country pony continued. “Sugarcube you were staring off into the distance for a good five minutes or so.”

That had been happening more and more to him recently, more and more time lost and feeling more and more tired by the day. The doctors he had talked to last time said that when his time was running out those things like might happen. That he would just feel weak one day and during a nap or when he was resting he would be…

“It is ok you two, I am fine. Well as fine as I can be I suppose.” Tossing the rest of his cone away he found that his appetite was gone now anyways. “This was a great idea and I really did enjoy it. The most fun I have had in a while.”

Pinkie came over to give him a gentle hug, wrapping her hooves around his barrel and give a light squeeze that he returned.

It was a perfect moment, the best moment as he opened his mouth and clamped down on her throat gripping and pulling back as he took that part of her with him. The moment her blood hit his face did he feel truly alive.

With a start Lego jerked himself out of…whatever that was to see Pinkie still hugging him and as fine as can be. “You ok?”

Feeling a bit of a cold sweat he nodded “Y-yeah, just nodded off for a bit there in your coat. Sorry about that.”

Giving a giggle she just smiled and waved it off. “Don’t worry about it, a mane as fluffy as mine puts Gummy to sleep all the time. At least you didn’t drool on me.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at that only to cough a few times. It was not that bad thanks to the pain medication he got from the specialist. “Anyways we should get back. I have a bit more translating to do before I am done for today.”

“Alright sugarcube but after we drop ya off we hav’ta git ourselves.” The cowpony said to his nod.

The house had been redecorated in the last few weeks, thanks to the efforts of Rarity mostly, but the rest had helped as well. Because he slept more often on the couch then his own bed a blanket hoof-knitted by Fluttershy herself was there for him. He always found things like that too be too comfortable and often found himself dozing off in it. Such was this time. Waving goodbye to his friends he settled down on the couch.

“Today was really a nice day.” Lego muttered to himself while getting comfortable. His eye slowly becoming glassy as he yawned showing how tired he was feeling. “I hope I can have many more of them.”

‘So do we brother, but we can’t hold him back anymore.’ The voice in his head startled him half awake but he felt like he was swimming now drowning almost as the sclera of his eye became black. He jumped up and tried to struggle with is body, knocking over a desk with a lamp, a few chairs, and other various knickknacks on shelves that he somehow climbed up to reach all the while ripping out what looked like black chunks of fur off of him. Like the time when he was shoved out of the metaphorical driver seat of their mind, he found himself being dragged away again only to awaken in his mind covered in thick tar like black gunk.

“Where am I?” Lego called out startled as well as worried. Was he having a nightmare? Was his brain dying from lack of oxygen?

A chuckle from his left caught his attention as it was a voice he knew so well. “Sorry bro, but you are a victim just like us now. We have tried so hard to hold him back from taking you but he has grown stronger and stronger from taking ours and your strength from our mana well.”

The pegasus brother he had though lost was hanging on the wall next to him. That thick black gunk strong out all over him and…pressing into him at the same time.

“We gave it a good run though, all things considered.” The voice to his right was another lost voice that had gone missing months ago. “Though I think you had it the worst of us Lego, having to be out constantly with our body in that shape must have been worse on you. Sorry we couldn’t have shared the burden.”

Novo, both his brothers found managed to bring tears to his eyes of happiness despite the pain he felt lacing through his mind made body.

Wishing he could wipe away the tears and at the same time not he asked. “So what now?”

“Now, you get to stay here and just barely understand what I do while I have my own body. Now the problem I am facing is how to make your body perfect now that I have all three of you. Oh well not like I will feel the pain.” The mysterious voice told them as pain lanced through them.

Today was her day, today was the day Twilight Sparkle told a certain pony how she felt. She didn’t care about his health, she didn’t care about if he shared any of those feelings or not. She cared only to tell him while she could, to not let a missed opportunity go by and wish she had shared those feelings another day. What caused this suddenly spring of courage, a letter back from her old foalsitter that had explained her feelings and his condition to her.

The letter had been nicely written, perfectly aligned, and practically babble for all of what Twilight had wrote quickly so she didn’t have time to second guess what she had written before sending it. So to say the letter came back with lots of laughter at the start was an understatement, but it did come back with the advice she needed.

She had a key to his home; they all did so they could come and go to check on him. Taking this like a grown mare, she calmly opened the door, went inside and explained her feelings to him.

Or rather that is what she wished happened; instead the door was flung open as Twilight rather loudly shouted. “Lego I have to tell you I like you a lot!”

Face blushing crimson even through her fur she waited with closed eyes for a response. She never got one. Instead as she opened her eyes she looked around to see a scene from a nightmare.

“Twilight I heard that from the carriage, should I still stay in here?” Twilight never heard the voice of her number one assistant. Instead all she could hear moments later was some mare screaming as if bloody murder had been committed. “Twilight snap out of it what is wrong?”

It was only with those words did she realize the scream had been coming from her. “Spike go get the Princess, I think something has happened to Lego!” Spike went off right away, using the carriage they had originally planned to use for a tour of Canterlot with Lego to be put to use in a rush job to the palace.

Twilight didn’t want to touch anything but seeing things broken tossed away and…was that black gunk. ‘No that can’t be, that would be the sign that the…oh please Celestia no!’

The unicorn woke up to Celestia shaking her awake as Luna and the guard was searching the place. “Are you alright my student?”

As seemed like it had become a habit in the last weeks Twilight found her face pressed against her mentor’s fur as she cried out. “Please tell me it isn’t what I think it is!”

Luna had come back and looked at them both with sad eyes; however Twilight never saw that, she only heard her voice. “The black fur that was melting is consistent with the dark magic infesting the killer though testing will need to be conducted. However there is little doubt that the killer was here. There are also signs of a struggle and it looks like Lego has been removed from the premises.”

The glow is what Twilight first seen as she turned to look at Luna. The Princess of the night was holding a bundle of papers written in neat hoofwriting as well as loose papers and a book that looked familiar. “What is that?”

Luna sighed and looked at the things she carried. “This-” She lifted the bundle up. “-is the latest translations that Lego was working on as well as some of the direct translations here in these.” She motioned once more towards the loose papers before motioning at last to the book. “And finally here is the journal itself that we left in his safekeeping. While it is of no consolation, at least the killer didn’t destroy his work.”

The student knew this was important to the sisters, she knew that secrets upon secrets lost to time was in those words. A precious book, ones that she loved to care for and look after all her life while reading them herself and yet-

“I don’t give a buck about a book Luna; I just want to find Lego safe and sound!” She could only see the shocked but sad look on her friend’s face as she said that. What she couldn’t see was the look on her mentor’s face that was one of shock that she had said something about not caring about books. The tear filled eyes were overflowing as Twilight went on a tirade of words that all amounted to one thing: We have to find Lego.

Celestia pulled her student back into a hug as Twilight started to cry against her once more pouring her heart out that felt like it was breaking. Twilight was a smart mare, she had often had thoughts and ideas of what she thought she would feel like if something happened to one of her friends, her family, and those she cared about, but none of it came close to her predictions. She thought she might be able to handle the emotions that would pour out of her at those times handle it with logic and reason. Not even close. That was the exact reason that Celestia had to put her to bed early that day as she had cried herself to exhaustion when no evidence of Lego could be found and the gunk came back as positive for dark magic.

All of Twilight’s friends had come to Canterlot soon after the discovery of the missing sick stallion to offer support, help, or just comfort to their friend whom could only nod and not speak as she had already worn her throat hoarse from her crying. Twilight wanted to say she heard each promise and word they gave to her but most of it was a blur to her. Every day the sun had come up it seemed to banish less and less of the darkness night held and the world felt as if it was less bright and had less hope each day when the pony that took a piece of her heart with her wasn’t found.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were in similar spots as Twilight however whatever pain they may have been harboring instead turned to determination as they volunteered to go on patrols at night so that the culprit was caught. Pinkie Pie wasn’t seen at all, the news of what had happened caused Pinkie to vanish with almost a look of hatred on her face only for Pinkie to come back during the day looking exhausted to take some rest only to eat when she woke and went back out as night hit. Rarity was comforting Spike who was growing worried over Twilight’s attitude and lack of appetite. Fluttershy surprisingly had sent out word to all of the Canterlot animals to help keep a look out for Lego and the pony that had done this.

Each day no word of either pony came back except that seemingly he had struck again and either ponies were found dead or missing. So it was decided on the seventh day after the missing Lego that Martial Law was called into effect. Full Equestrian Military might was called in to patrol and start searching for the culprit. To say such a thing caused a stir throughout Equestria was an understatement as Martial Law had only been called on a hoofful of times in Equestrian history. News of this went over the world itself and no doubt that would cause its own worries and problems at another day. Still, now there were armed guards patrolling the streets day and night. The curfew from before was now strictly enforced with military backing and most whom were caught were held for questioning till they were released later.

It was a dark time in Canterlot two days after the Law was put into effect and only one pony was enjoying the challenge, the same pony whom had bested one of the sisters of the throne and whose art would continue. Speaking of his art, he was looking in on a home now. A single mother and father in a single story home complete with attic, so no herd in this home, a young filly in her room playing with her dolls and an older sister that was currently about to score a touchdown if his hoofball term was correct. Neither his host nor he had much knowledge for the sport so if it was wrong he never knew. It didn’t matter either as he glided silently over to the open window.

The noises from outside the closet was so scary, her hooves were shaking under her where her mother had told her to hide. The voices of her mom and dad were so loud when they were arguing with the black pony that had arrived in her older sister’s room where her sister and her colt friend were making strange noises before. Those noises had stopped suddenly and the black stallion had come out. Her mother had run to her room and told her to hide in the closet till they said it was safe.

There came the sounds of screaming soon as two thuds followed with a wet and squishy sounding splat. The silence scared her more than anything as neither her mother nor father came to get her. Deciding to disobey her mother’s orders the little filly snuck out of her hiding spot in the closet and came to her door. The sight of what the dark colored pony and what he was doing would forever scar the little girl whom ran for the hills as she jumped out her window. The stallion was too preoccupied with what he was doing and never noticed.

He looked down at the hurt and unconscious ponies; he never out right killed any of his victims anymore and instead let them bleed out from what he did as he used their blood to paint lovely works of art on the walls and floor. “I do love how long you all will take to bleed out, I really am getting better at this. I should get at least a day or more out of you all. Now then let us talk while I work. I really should think of a name for myself. I was thinking of following a certain pony’s idea and using ancient Equestrian for my name. So I came to the conclusion that since I am the ‘scourge’ of this city I should translate that. That comes out to Plaga, I rather like the sound of that don’t you?”

No pony answered the newly named stallion as he shrugged. “Everypony is a critic.” Looking over at the wall he was painting on he started to hum to himself and think of what next should he draw when his stomach growled. “Guess I should wash up and get something to eat first.”

He had washed up and had a nice daffodil sandwich prepared when the door was blown inwards causing him to stand up quickly and look at whom had just did so.

“You are under arrest!” Came the shouting voices of several different mares one of whom he both loved and hated to see again.

Plaga put his meal down and stood up to look over at the Princess of the night. “Ahh Luna, so good to see you again.”

Luna wasn’t in the mood to talk though as she fired a bolt of pure arcane energy at him taking him in the chest. He started to get up and chuckle as cause of his source of power something like that wouldn’t harm-

Pain lanced through his body suddenly as he let out a loud curse and he looked down to the bubbling and hissing spot where the blast had hit him. “What did you do?!”

His anger must have been clear as the princess of the night almost smirked. “It was a Purity Pulse. A type of offensive spell meant to eat away at dark magic like what you use. Though I didn’t think your use of such magic had saturated your being so thoroughly. I must assume that it was extremely painful for you. Though then again not so much as what you put others through.”

Standing up he let his anger get the best of him as he threw his wings open and forward sending a few of his feathers at all the mares and Luna that had come into the home. To his shock and disappointment none of them hit Luna though a few of the guard ponies did take a hit.

“Careful your highness you see those feathers will grow and eat away at them inch by inch if you don’t get them healed. Better run off or you may get hit as well.” Plaga smirked as he gained the upper hoof only for Luna to start laughing and send another blast at him which he dodged this time as the magic hit and shattered something behind him.

Luna motioned with her head over to the guards. “Don’t worry about them.” Said guards were brushing off the melted feathers from their armor and exposed parts as if they were laminated and the gunk couldn’t adhere to them. “these were guards I hoof chosen to bring with me after you, all having armor enchanted to resist dark magic and repel corruption such as what you may spread and often leave behind at all your crime scenes.” Taking on a more serious look as Plaga grew more worried she continued. “You are hereby charged with numerous counts of murder, unlawful disobedience, kidnapping, treason-”

“Kidnapping?” He asked curiously, he had never taken anypony thus far so there should be no reason for those charges to come up. The debris from the blast must have also cause some lacerations as he felt something pool at the back of his hind hooves.

He was answered not by the princess but instead by one of the guardsmares that were with her as she took off her helmet. “We want our friend back!”

The helmet coming off meant the illusionary enchantment of the armor also faded, leaving not the dark coat of a thestral-blooded guard, but instead the pink coat and pink poofy mane of a regular earth pony. One he knew from observing from his host.

Pinkie Pie stood there with anger in her eyes staring at him as she continued. “Give Lego back!”

Luna held out a hoof in front of the pink mare as she spoke. “Him and all the others you had taken. It will not alleviate your sentence at all but it will make sure you at least come away with a clean conscience.”

“Well sorry to inform you but I don’t take prisoners.” Plaga said as he was looking for a way out only to see out of the corner of his eyes what had really been hit as well as what was pooling around his back hooves. All of this made him smirk as a horribly terrible idea formed in his mind that he loved. “Well not normally at least. I have only ever taken one prisoner whom I usually keep close at hoof in case princess killjoy there ever ruined my fun. Now I have a puzzle for you, it only has one right answer for you all.”

He loved seeing the guards and Princess suddenly become uneasy at his tone of voice. “What are you planning?”

The dark pegasus laughed before looking at them. “These ponies are still alive, as is the prisoner I took. If you want to save them I suggest you make the right choice.”

“What do you mean, we have you cornered, all you can do is surr-” The Alicorn started as Plaga cut her off.

Shaking his head he smiled. “Such a small force so here is your puzzle.” He stomped his hooves into the spreading water causing fog to burst into the room. “Chase me and condemn the ponies here and in the attic to die or-.” The sound of a window breaking could be heard letting the fog also billow out into the air as he was sure there were ponies surrounding the area all as the sounds of hooves scrambled on the wooden floor. “Save them and let me go, tick tock Princess.”

He made the fog extra thick and as such he himself had a hard time seeing where he was going but eventually made it up the stairs and silently opened and closed the attic. Grinning to himself for his idea he pulled in all of the dark coating covering the body as he reverted it to its base form of a sickly white pony.

“Oh the fun I will have.” He muttered and ran forward to knock himself out quickly against one of the support beams.

Luna was sure they had the pony only for her blast from early to come and bite her in the flank. If she had not missed and hit the sink in the kitchen he would have had no water to use for that much fog all at once. She could hear her guards running around and into each other creating all kinds of bumps and thuds in her ears. Regardless it was either chase after him or take the hurt ponies to the medical professionals that could save.

“All pegasi use your wings to blow away the fog and quickly, we have injured to see to.” As ordered the fog was soon blown away though it did take a few moments as she looked over to others. “Send a runner out to get physicians here right away.” Pointing to the last group she gave the last order, just in case he didn’t leave. “Search the house from top to bottom in case he went into hiding to throw us off. If he escaped outside surely the guards out there are already hot on his trail if he has not been caught already.”

All of the guards were seeing to their job except the three that came forward towards her, Pinkie and two others. “Buck this sucks, we had him right there.” Came the gruff voice of Rainbow Dash under the helmet.

Beside her another mare took off her helmet to reveal blonde locks of her mane and a naturally orange coat. “Tar’nation Ah agree with RD here Princess. We should have had him.”

The Princess of Dreams hung her head low and sighed. “It would be my fault where blame is to be had. I gave him his escape when I hit the wash basin in the kitchen. If not for me then we would have gotten him. He was trapped with no way out.”

Her friends started to move towards her to give her comfort, something at this point she would have welcomed freely except. “Princess, we have located another victim upstairs in the attic, he looks to have sustained a head injury and is out cold.” Luna was about to tell him to see to the stallion but he continued. “What is more is that the stallion matches up to the description of a missing pony.”

For the first time since the killer started to roam the streets, Luna felt hope and she could tell she wasn’t alone as her friends all quickly followed after the guard.

Author's Notes:

Do not forget to leave feed back to let me know how these chapters do, it is much appreciated.